His Secret

Hoodie Kid

"Not again with this extra working hour again." she mumbles with annoyance. As Dane took his day off again now she has to cover it up cuz this st*pid store doesn't have any other employee.

"Say goodbye to my precious sleep" She cries and sits on the counter chair almost giving up her body. Its gonna be a loooong night...

Isabel Lane, just any other girl who has multiple part time jobs as she cant get in this whatever computer related company she is trying to be. She is just right now trying to meet her day ends with her little brother. Her life is just her and this little brother she is very protective about. Her parents? That's a story for another time.

Time passed but ofcourse who would come at this hour. She doesn't understand what's the need of these stores to be open 24h when at night barely someone comes.

She let out sigh as she laid her head on the counter table and just then there was a sound of foot steps telling her that there's a customer.

It was just a teenage hoodie boy who came to purchase some Coke at this time. Seeing that he also got a strawberry flavoured ice cream she guessed he was here for his girlfriend. The hoodie boy comes to counter as she bill's the stuff and puts them into a bag before handing him.

"Come again sir" She says with a smile. The thought that maybe the boy was buying thing cuz his girlfriend is on periods. But.. glazing the window when she was watching the kid go he suddenly stopped. He stood there for a while to the window his hoodie still not letting her see his face. Isabel got weird chills through her spine. Something just didn't feel right. She bit her lower lip as she closed her eyes tightly.

She sighed and continued to just wait till her shift ends.

◇Time skipped•

Isabel sent her brother to school and she laid to her bed to get some sleep finally. 2h won't hurt right? She thought and smile. As soon as she was going down to her sleeping world she heard her phone ringing. She groaned and tried to ignore but it rang again. She frustratingly answered the call.

"Isabel I Want You Here RIGHT NOW! " and he cuts the call with that. She blinked few times figuring out what the h*ll was that. Its was her last night grocery shop boss. God knows what he wants. She banged her head in her pillow few times before she finally decided to get up and wear her coat.

Isabel P.O.V▪︎

I reached there and saw some police officers and a guy roaming around the shop searching for something. I went inside and saw Dane crossing his arms looking tensed which you don't see every day. He is usually the guy who goofes around making you laugh always joking around.

Dane saw me and came as he hugged me. "I'm so glad you're fine" He said. His voice was a bit cracked as if we would cry any moment. Dane and I were pretty close. We worked together for 2 years and he was like my 2nd little brother. He was just 19 trying to earn some extra money for his video games.

"Dane.. boy I'm totally fine" I said patting his back. I pulled him back and asked him what's the matter going on. He just looked at me with worry. I wonder what frightened him so much. I saw Marcus talking to one of the officers over the counter. He saw me and signed me to go there. "I'll be back." I said and went to Marcus.

"Ms. Lane, sorry to call you suddenly" The officer said.

"No, it's fine officer. How can I help?"

"Apparently a young girl has died last night and we think it was a murder"

"Oh my god.." I gasped..

"We saw this shops bag on the crime spot and from the owner we heard you were on the shift yesterday almost whole from evening"

"Yes sir, I was."

"I know maybe there could be many people who came yesterday but did you see someone weird?"

"I don't really remember sir." My mind was blanked thinking about the murder happened in this locality. I seriously can't think of anything and the fact that the killer or victim was here before scared me even more.

"Please try to remember. We think that maybe the killer dropped here."

"What!"

"We heard from the girl's neighbour she didn't get out at all yesterday. They only heard the door open at night."

I was stunned. I was indeed more than frightened. My fingers catches my sleeve grabbing and stretching it.

"Did anyone bought coke and strawberry icecream yesterday?" That tall guy who was roaming the store spoke and that's when it hit me.

"Yes! There was one who bought strawberry icecream and coke late at night."

"When he bought it from you?" The official asked again.

"Some what like 1AM or like that.."

"Could you see his face?"

"No he was wearing a grey hoodie. He didnt even speak anything." I bit my lips. I was getting so scared now. I remembered the chills I got last night. "But he was a kid.. are you sure he is the killer?"

" A kid?! " the officer looked at me shocked. So did that roaming guy.

"Yeah about 16 years or something. He was short and thin. I guess he was a kid"

" You said you didn't saw his face so we still can't say he was a kid or not." That roaming guy said. I guess he was right so I nodded.

"Do you have CCTV camera?" The officer asked Marcus and he nodded. They went to the security room for checking the CCTV while I just stood there. Only if I had stopped him and did something.. would that be the girl alive right now? Only if I just went to him with an excuse as things didn't feel right...

"It wasn't your fault Isabel. We will catch the killer" The roaming guy tapped my shoulder . I didn't look at him. I just said thanks and sighed cuz everything around me is just so... messy and bloody

I turned to see Dane"That guy" he said "Oh, you mean Dane?" I said finally looked at him and then again at Dane.

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

"Nothing." He said as he slids hands into his pocket. "I guess we will see each other again?" He said more like a question and I finally get a proper view of himself.

"Umm.. I guess?" I nodded in confusion. With that he smirked and walked away. What's with him?

••~~

Total word count: 1139